{Leftovers Make Over : French Stick Toast}

After a recent BBQ with friends, we had some of the French bread stick left over. This gave me an idea for a makeover on this tray of slightly stale day old bread.

These were already cut and in a baking dish, so all I had to do was add some extra ingredients. I whisked up 6 eggs, cinnamon (one teaspoon ish), some sugar (2 tablespoons ish) and 200ml thickened cream (I keep a long life carton on hand at all times, it always comes in handy).
Pour it over your bread and make sure it's all covered.


Bake in a 180'C oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and set.
When it comes out, sprinkle with fresh berries and this is the result:

Lauren x

{Oat & Quinoa Muesli}

Well, summer weather has hit (most of the time in Sydney) and one of my favourite breakfasts this time of the year is homemade muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruit.
I started making my own muesli this time last year and its so easy and delicious!


This one has a base of Oat and Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-waa') which is very good for you. Read more about it {here} I just got a roasting tray filled it with a few cups of Rolled oats, a cup of organic white quinoa flakes (available in health food isle of supermarket).
This is your base, then you can add other seeds, nuts and dried fruit you like and have on hand. I love this kind of food prep that you can adjust to tastes/ what's in the fridge.
I added the following but you can choose whatever you like...
- sunflower seeds
- sesame seeds
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- currants
- sultanas
- shredded coconuts
- dried apricot
- dried cranberries
- dried apple
- dried paw-paw
- slithered almonds
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- stir through about 1/4 (more if you like) cup of honey thats heated up in microwave so it's thinner and easier to mix.
Put tray into the oven when it's on for dinner for about 10 minutes, stir and then leave for another 5 mins.

My sister in law is starting her HSC exams this week. So I bottled a jar of this as a 'brain power breakky gift'. You could also give it to someone moving house, who is sick or just had a baby. I'm sure a healthy breakfast meal would be appreciated when going through something like this.
Are you a muesli eater? What's your favourite breakfast choice?


Lauren x

{All in One Breakfast Bake}

This is the kind of cooking I like. Its a no recipe, tailor to your own taste, use what you have kinda meal.
I actually made this one night for what we call "BRINNER". Breakfast for dinner. It was a crazy day and I wasn't going to the shops with crazy children after school and issued myself a sort of 'mystery box' challenge!
I can see so many adaptations of this idea. I can imagine family all digging in to this for a late Boxing Day morning together while using some f the left overs from Christmas Day. 

I'll show you how I did this and then show you how you could change it to your tastes. 

{Homemade Christmas : Yummy Successes & a Failure too}

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed some quality time with those you love over the Christmas/ New years period. Such a nice time of year...I just love it.

I have had a few recipes requested so this post is dedicated to the Muesli.

I searched everywhere for a porcelain pen/ texta I'd seen used on a blog to create handmade christmas gifts. Part worked well and part was an epic fail!

The plan was to design and personalize some bowls and include a jar of homemade toasted muesli. These were some we made:



However, even after doubling the drying time on the bowls, the writing came off! To make matters worse, I trusted the product and actually had a recipient of these tell me the next morning. I was furious and hurt. Some gifts I put so much thought into were ruined! I have been in talks with the company and the craft store I bought it from, hoping to find an answer soon. If anyone has had a win or a failure with this technique - please comment!

The muesli however, was a massive HIT!


I have had texts and calls from people who didn't even receive the gift wanting the recipe. So since I kinda made it up, I have spent time figuring out what the recipe was! I love this type of cooking where each batch could be potentially customized to taste or contents of the pantry! Never buying this again!

Ingredients (this made 4 gift jars):
5 cups oats
1 cup pepitas
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup flaked almonds
2 cups of sultanas
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup of shredded coconut
2 Tbl sesame seeds

4T unflavored oil (I used rice bran oil)
100g honey

Preheat oven to 150'C
1. Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Heat oil and honey in microwave or saucepan then stir into mixture.
3. Spread onto some baking trays and bake for about 30 mins. You want the mixture to be slightly browned and the fruits to become chewy. Then remove from oven and cool before putting into airtight container.


Enjoy,
Lauren x

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{The 1 minute Smoothie : Healthy, quick and delicious}

I created this quick breakfast idea and the family LOVE it. This is a great idea to add to spring/ summer for breakfasts or on the go smoothies at any time.

I set up a bunch of small snap lock bags. In each bag I put the following:

- 4 strawberries
- A spoonful of blueberries  
- 1 dessert spoon of oats
- 1/2 banana cut up into pieces
- 2 spoonfuls of your preferred yoghurt (I use natural yoghurt)
- Splash of vanilla
- Sprinkle of cinnamon 
- a squeeze of honey
- a sprinkling of flax seeds and chia seeds

Zip up the bags and pop into the freezer. That's the hard part! 

Then, each morning, I just take a zip lock bag out and add it into my magic bullet blender thing, fill it with milk and blitz.  
[You could also use a blender, but that's why i love the magic bullet because you have to wash far less dishes!]

SOOOO easy! And because it's all frozen, it turns into a sort of a smoothie frappe. VOILA!!!

You can also try this with any fruit/ yoghurt combinations you have on hand. Other ideas to add to the bag might be:
- passion fruit pulp
- tinned fruit
- flavoured yoghurts
- fruit puree's frozen into cubes like the yoghurt concept
- blueberries
- paw paw
- kiwifruit
- a sprinkle of cinnamon
- mangoes

.........let your imagination take over and create!!!

Enjoy;

Lauren x

{School Mum In Training} Lessons Learned So Far

Well, this year our family eased into 'school life' with Joshua (4.5 years) has started prep school two days a week. It is a wonderful way to get used to the world of big school for mother and child alike.

TOP 5 LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED SO FAR!
1. Always have a sharpie and a labeller handy!
2. Make lunchboxes fun as well as healthy. I have made very good friends with my cookie cutters and often cut sandwhiches and cheese slices into different shapes. He loves finding the surprises at lunch time.
3. For the first few weeks, talk through the lunch box with them and make sure they know what youve given them for morning tea and lunch. It helps them keep their day somewhat predictable and have something to look forward to.
4. There is A LOT of paper work that comes home each week. So I have made a folder that sits in my kitchen with sections for newsletters, general school info, awards, notes, term dates and office phone numbers etc.... This has been wonderful and makes it easy to know what's happening and organise what comes home.
5. Keep morning routine simple and predictable. Our morning goes breakfast, uniform, make bed and brush teeth.

But on thing has made these (potentially crazy) mornings very easy.For his first morning at prep I made a yoghurt parfait the night before and it was a hit on more than one level.

Firstly I layered a clear glass with:
2 spoonfuls of yoghurt
2 spoonfuls of strawberry fruit puree
2 spoonfuls of berries fresh or frozen
2 spoonfuls of yoghurt

Then out it into the fridge that night. At breakfast time take out of fridge and top with a sprinkling of meuseli or crushed cereal for a crunchy texture. This is a great way to use up the 'dregs' in the bottom of the cereal packets too! You can also chop some banana or other fruit on top. That's the beauty of this thing, personalise it to tastes and what you have on hand.

Cheap, easy, quick and healthy!!!

Enjoy;
Lauren x

Pancake Tuesday Recipe ::: Ricotta pancakes with honey and banana

If you know me well, or follow me regularly, you will know Tuesday is pancake morning in our house. Last week I tired this recipe and LOVED it so much I think I will make another batch after finishing the post for tomorrow. This is another taste recipe (I should earn commission from the advertising I do for them lol). So here is the link, enjoy!

Tips for making pancake mornings easier:
1. I always make batter night before, I think it tastes better and it's a tonne easier.
2. I get the electric frying pan, plates and spatula out ready, anything to save some time.

Lauren x

New Pancake Tuesday Recipe

In our house we have a weekly pancake tuesday morning which is a BIG hit!!! What the kids don't know is that I make them chocolate pancakes (with carrot, pumpkin or betroot puree) and honey panackes (with apple and cinnamon), so there is always a healty aspect to them!

This week I adapted a recipe from Martha that looked yummy : "Orange and Ricotta Pancakes". I love ricotta, so this is now a favourite for me :)

{{{Serves 4}}}

• 1 3/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese (almost a 500g tub, you could add all of it if you like it as much as i do)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (1 orange)
• Juice of 1 orange
  
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Confectioners' sugar, or maple syrup

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (1 orange) and orange juice. Whisk in 2/3 cup all-purpose flour until just combined.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches (and adding more oil to skillet as needed), add batter, using a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
   

Mothers Day Breakfast Idea

One of my absolute indulgences is French Toast. Something I cook for my family alot but only have every once in a while....too tempting!!! Try this delicious recipe for a truley special mothers day breakfast or brunch dish for your mum. I don't usually add cream to my egg mixture, but why not for a special occassion and try some vanilla extract for a little something extra :)

If like my Mum, your not into sweets. Try the homemade baked beans I posted recently or maybe splash out on some gourmet bread and rub with garlic clove and toast it. Then top with some smoked salmon, wilted spinach, a poached egg and some hollandaise and a sprig of dill.

Sweet or savoury, either way, celebrations are a great reason to upgrade breakky from weet bix or vegemite toast!
XOX

Homemade Baked Beans

Coming into winter, the mornings here are getting brisk and fresh to say the least. We don't have air con at the moment which is sort of refreshing as we all rug up in slippers and dressing gowns and often indulge in porridge (which I keep low in sugar so it is a winter "weight management" dish too lol). I found a savoury breakfast that I just love. Homemade baked beans. YUMMM!!! I let it simmer on the stove and then also decided to spoon some into a ramekin and crack an egg on top and throw it in the oven. Right before it was ready, I sprinkled parmesan on it and put the grill on to make it crispy...OH MY!!!! I often find myself making things without a recipe and using taste tests to guide the ingredients, so here is my best guess at the recipe (there are also many available on net too). This would be enough for breakky for several adults, so feel free to halve it if necessary.
1. Put in an 800g tin tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion (or handful of frozen onions if you want to avoid tears) in saucepan.
2. Add 3 tins of white beans, i used butter beans and canelini beans.
3. Add a dash of worcestershire sauce, a dessert spoon of dijon mustard, a spoonful of brown sugar, a bay leaf or two and a sprig of fresh thyme (dried is okay if thats all you have - but it's worth slashing out for fresh). Thought of adding tabasco whilst typing this (next time;)
4. I added a sprinkle of smokey paprika, tumeric, salt and lots of pepper.
5. Simmer on low heat for about 10-20 mins (longer will make it richer).

Serving suggestions:
1. Crusty bread and wilted spinach
2. On toast with crispy bacon
3. Spoon into ramekin and crack egg on top. Once egg is cooked, place some parmesan or gruyere cheese and top with a fresh sprig of thyme and serve with soldier toast on side.